Spectacular Bid: The Last Superhorse of the Twentieth Century

A safety pin was all that kept Spectacular Bid from becoming the eleventh Thoroughbred to take the Triple Crown. This work examines Spectacular Bid from his humble beginnings—he was born in a mud puddle on a horse farm in Versailles, Kentucky—to his recognition as one of the greatest American racehorses.

On the morning of the 1979 Belmont Stakes, Spectacular Bid stepped on a safety pin in his stall, injuring his foot. He had impressively won the first two races—the Kentucky Derby and the Pr...